Method for promoting nerve regeneration

Abstract

A method for promoting regeneration of damaged nerve tissue, comprising administering, either alone or in combination, an effective amount of an antimitotic agent or a proton-withdrawing buffer to the damage site. Antimitotic agents reduce the rate of growth of glial cells, and buffers facilitate the growth of nerve tissue and inhibit glial cell growth. Referred antimitotic agents are cytosine arabinoside, 5-fluorouracil, and hydroxyurea. Preferred buffers are TREA and HEPES. Compositions are disclosed which include antimitotic agent, buffer, and an oxygen-supplying compound, such as hydrogen peroxide.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for treating a mammalian nerve tissue injury creating an injury site environment more favorable to glial cell growth than to nerve cell growth which comprises modifying said environment to favor the growth of nerve cells. 
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1 in which the modification of said environment is accomplished by concurrently raising the injury site pH and retarding the proliferation of glial cells. 
     
     
       3. The process as defined by claim 2 in which the pH is raised by the administration of a buffer to the injury site. 
     
     
       4. The process of claim 2 in which the proliferation of glial cells is retarded by the administration of an antimitotic agent to the injury site. 
     
     
       5. The process as defined by claim 1 in which a pH within the range of between about 7 and 8 is established at the injury site and the proliferation of the glial cells is retarded by the administration of an antimitotic agent. 
     
     
       6. The process of claim 5 in which the pH is raised by administering a buffer to the injury site. 
     
     
       7. The process of claim 6 in which the buffer is ACES, ADA, AEPD, AMP, AMPD, BES, BICINE, BIS-TRIS, BIS-TRIS PROPANE, DEA, EPPS, MEA, MES,MOPS, PIPES, TAPS, TES, TREA, TRICINE, or TRIS. 
     
     
       8. The process of claim 5 or 6 in which the antimitotic agent is selected from the group consisting of cytosine. arabinoside, 5-fluorouracil, hydroxyurea, and methotrexate. 
     
     
       9. A process as defined by claim 2 in which the modification of the environment is accomplished by the administration of an antimitotic agent, a buffer and an oxygen supplying substance to the injury site. 
     
     
       10. A process as defined by claim 9 in which a pH between about 7 and 8 is established at the injury site, the proliferation of glial cells is retarded by the administration of an antimitotic agent and in which the oxygen supplying substance is a pharmacologically acceptable peroxide. 
     
     
       11. A process for promoting the regeneration of nerve tissue at a nerve tissue injury site which comprises administering an antimitotic agent to retard the growth of glial cells, a buffer to provide a pH between about 7 and 8, and an oxygen supplying substance. 
     
     
       12. A process as defined by claim 11 in which the antimitotic agent is cytosine arabinoside, the buffer is TREA, and the oxygen supplying substance is hydrogen peroxide.